The Widow, The Priest and The Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island...

— —

Amy Chavez

The Widow, The Priest and The Octopus Hunter

Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island

Amy Chavez

$18.95

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Tuttle Publishing
11 September 2024

Biography: general; Ethnic minorities & multicultural studies; Travel & holiday guides; Travel writing

Get to know the inhabitants of a tiny Japanese island-and their unusual stories and secrets-through this fascinating, intimate collection of portraits.

""This book beautifully describes the residents of tiny Shiraishi Island as well as telling how Amy herself came to be in such a fascinating little corner of Japan...

Amy herself, with this book, has shown herself an integral part of this preservation. -Rebecca Otowa, author of At Home in Japan

When American journalist Amy Chavez moved to the tiny island of Shiraishi (population 430), she rented a house from an elderly woman named Eiko, who left many of her most cherished possessions in the house-including a portrait of Emperor Hirohito and a family altar bearing the spirit tablet of her late husband.

Why did she abandon these things? And why did her tombstone later bear the name of a daughter no one knew? These are just some of the mysteries Amy pursues as she explores the lives of Shiraishi's elusive residents.

The 31 revealing accounts in this book include:

The story of 40-year-old fisherman Hiro, one of two octopus hunters left on the island, who moved back to his home island to fill a void left by his brother who died in a boating accident. A Buddhist priest, eighty-eight, who reflects on his childhood during the war years, witnessing fighter pilots hiding in bunkers on the back side of the island.

A ""pufferfish widow,"" so named because her husband died after accidentally eating a poisonous pufferfish. The ex-postmaster who talks about hiking over the mountains at night to deliver telegrams at a time when there were only 17 telephone numbers on the island.

Interspersed with the author's reflections on her own life on the island, these stories paint an evocative picture of the dramatic changes which have taken place in Japanese society across nearly a century. Fascinating insights into local superstitions and folklore, memories of the war and the bombing of nearby Hiroshima, and of Shiraishi's heyday as a resort in the 1960s and 70s are interspersed with accounts of common modern-day problems like the collapse of the local economy and a rapidly-aging community which has fewer residents each year.

By: Amy Chavez
Imprint: Tuttle Publishing
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 130mm,
Weight: 425g
ISBN: 9784805318140
ISBN 10: 4805318147
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 11 September 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Amy Chavez arrived in Japan from America in 1993, fresh out of graduate school. After a few years enjoying the city life, she began a search for the ""real Japan"" and found it on Shiraishi (population 430), a tiny island in the Seto Inland Sea. For ten years she lectured at a Japanese university before becoming a full-time writer. For over 20 years she has penned a column for The Japan Times covering issues central to island life such as tourism, the environment, aging and depopulation. She and her Australian husband have been renovating their Japanese home on Shiraishi for the past 17 years, the amount of time it takes some species of cicada to reach maturity. Chavez is the author of several books, including Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan: Do it Right and Be Polite. She has a B.A. in creative writing from Miami University, Oxford, and an M.A. in technical writing.

Reviews for The Widow, The Priest and The Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island

"""When it comes to writers on Japan, Amy Chavez is as good as it gets. Her works convey such energy, enthusiasm and richness of detail that everything she writes is a joy to read."" --Robert Whiting, author of You Gotta Have Wa ""The chat will surely be a treat for fans of Amy's work. For those stumbling across her work for the first time, I am certain you'll enjoy all that is discussed and covered in this compelling talk."" -- The Life As A…Podcast ""Once in a great while, you come across a book so compelling, interesting, and important that you want to share it with everyone. Such is the case with the latest book from author Amy Chavez, entitled The Widow, The Priest and The Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island…"" -- Dr. Jessie Voigts, Wandering Educators"